I just went in to wake up my 14 month old from her nap. I opened her blinds and was shocked to see 16 ladybugs all over her window. I live in the mid-atlantic region where it has been cold, but we are having a few days of warm weather. Does anybody have ideas how to rid of these nasty bugs that will not harm my children? My 4 year old wants to keep them as pets! Thanks!

Karen

Answers

I live in Ohio. Its winter now, but usually in the fall we get some of those rare warm spells, which we like to call "Indian Summers". HUNDREDS of ladybugs come out and start building their nests, and I'm assnuming they think its spring. Fortunately, these warm spells only last anywhere between one to three days and they die off when it gets cold again. Just wait for a while and they'll go away;it would be a huge waste of money trying to call the exterminator.

Hello! We have lady bugs all winter long here in North Dakota..they are the Asian type which prefer to overwinter indoors..basicly they are harmless and good for plants, both indoors and out...they eat aphids and other bugs that destroy plants..if they are an issue for you though, just get out the fly swatter :0)

I'm not sure if I'm talking about the same insect here - we had what we called ladybirds, (a type of small beetle with red folded wings like a little shell, with black spots), in Britain when I was a child. There is absolutely nothing 'nasty' of harmful about these bugs! We used to allow them to crawl on our hands - they don't bite/sting or otherwise cause any harm. They are beautiful and some species are very beneficial to the garden as previously mentioned. I would just sweep them up and put them back outside - and stop stressing! (If they are the same insect that is!)

I live in Indiana now, and there were thousands of them around here!! Yes, they stink and bite. I have had them in my bed, and of course, that grosses me out. Crazy, I know, but I spray vinegar on my bed when that happens, and it seems to help. Vinegar is anti-bacterial too.

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My friends in Kentucky have them too, so they must be acrosss the country!

These are not Lady Bugs these are called asian beetles, nothing will actually keep them out. When it warms up they show back up. They do smell bad and will bite, but they arent venomous. You can vacuum them up but make sure that you kill them before emptying the vacuum.

Hello there!! Just wanted to post and say....ladybugs the one's we remember as the "good guys" are reddish in color.The ones that stink and bite and are showing up all over the place on warm days are orange in color and are the Asian variety. They are not the aphid eating ones we would like to have in our gardens :(

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Oh, Gertrude, this is not a problem! This is a blessing. Living in the country you need Ladybugs to rid your outdoor plants of aphids. They "hole up" in the window sashes and such in winter, but will soon disappear and you will find nary a one, unless you find them hard at work around your outdoor plants.

Capture them and sell them to a nursery, or send them to friend's who garden (esp. in the southern part of the U.S.)! Ladybugs feast on many of the garden pests that devastate gardens. I can understand why you don't want them in your house however! Please don't kill them though as they are so beneficial to have around. I would love to have some.

OK. I know Ladybugs are beneficial. I know they eat aphids. I now they are a great alternative to pesticides in the garden. Blah blah blah....I HATE THEM!! For those of you who say they aren't a problem and they will just hide in the sashes till spring. Or those who say to just "seal" up your house so they don't get in. To those who think a "few" lady bugs can be tolerated...you have NO IDEA what some of us are going through. Maybe you have 20 or 30 cute little bugs walking around in your house....but when fall comes I have MILLIONS all over my house. They are so thick you can't even see through them on the windows and walls outside. Seal the house up?? Sure...but when you open the door to go out or come in from outside hundreds fly in as soon as the door opens.

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They are in my bed, in my food, in my shower and in the closets and drawers with my clothing. I have a garden and a small farm. I get my water from a well. I undersdtand about chemicals and pesticides in the ground water and around my animals and children...but I kill these PESTS every chance I get and by any means necessary. In the fall when they first gather I use a pump sprayer and a strong pesticide and spray several times a day the outside walls of our house. The bugs pile up in heaps at the base of the house...but new ones replace those and I spray em again. Once again....if you think they are "cute" and "lucky" and "nice to have around" then you don't have a clue as to what some of us are talking about.

You people don't understand they fly in your food while eating in your coffee pot and end up in your coffee. Needless to say the rest. I was sitting at the table eating dinner and one flew in my plate. Yummy! NOT. And like someone else said these are not lady bugs. They are Asian beettes and they are in my house by the thousands also. I guess I will just start trying stuff and let everyone know my progress. Best wishes to my self. I will start with the recipe given as

1/2 cup water1 Tbs. vinegar1 squirt dish soap1 Tbs. sugar

Place in a milk jug near infestation.I will give it a week and come back and post.

Answers

Are you talking about lady bugs or Asian beetles? A big difference! You do not want to allow Asian beetles inside as they will take over by the hundreds! Buy an insecticide called "Bug Stop" and spray it around all your windows and sills at the first sign of them attacking your house in October. It will help the infestation and is residual for 9 months. These beetles will be out again in the spring and crawling all over your counters, windows, beds, etc.

To get rid of the ones inside: Double duct tape back on itself and touch the sticky side to the beetle. They cannot get loose and as long as their wings are stuck to the tape, they will not emit the terrible smell.

For those on the ceilings, have someone make a "T" shaped pole from some wood and attach the duct tape to the top of the T, again doubled back on itself so one side sticks to the pole and the top side is also sticky. Simply reach up with the pole and capture the bug.

Vacuuming is ugly, as they will smell each time the vac is turned on, plus they can crawl out of the wand.

The Asian beetles were imported by our government in the 1940's as a "natural" control for farmer's aphids on soy bean plants. However, there is no enemy of the beetles and they have multiplied by the millions and are traveling west. You are very lucky if you live in a large city where they are not prevalent due to no soy bean fields nearby.

Incidentally, they swarm to our homes, especially two story like ours, because in their natural habitat, they winter over in cliffs. Our homes are like cliffs to them.

They are not beneficial lady bugs. Do not let them loose outside once you catch them. Destroy them immediately. They will die on the duct tape or can be captured with a wet tissue and rolled up if duct tape is not handy. The wet tissue keeps them from emitting the terrible smell.

What people call the "Asian Beetle" is just a another type of ladybug, just one imported from Asia, actually a better aphid eater than our native species. They got into the attic before the weather got cold to wait out the cold and now with Spring arriving have gotten active and some are finding their way inside, probably through the ceiling light fixtures. Not a lot to do to stop them for this year.

You can apply a residual insecticide in the window sills that will kill them as they fly towards the light. Using the extension hose of the vacuum is the easiest way to catch and remove them. The release an odor that will ruin the vacuum so securing an old stocking on the hose will act as a filter keeping them out of the vacuum interior. In the summer try to seal and caulk area they can gain access into the walls and attic of the structure.

Treating the exterior of the home in late summer with a pyrethroid based insecticide will reduce their numbers trying to hibernate. (22 years doing pest control)

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I haven't found how to tell the difference except that if they are not red (orange or red orange), they are definitely the Asian Lady Beetles. Even if they are red, they can be. Short of counting their spots, it might be a problem to tell the difference. They are beneficial like domestic ladybugs but can be pesky in the winter. Here's a good article about them and why they want to cluster on the walls of homes:

I have been in my room and I have been finding ladybugs in the strangest places. My dad thinks that they are coming from the attic, but I have no patience anymore! I need help to try to get them out of my room.

By Jessica

Answers

I know lady bugs LOVE and feed on Caragana trees. They eat the aphids (green bugs). If you find a tree nearby they will all leave together. It's like they have a call and just pick up and leave! Fascinating. But the chance of having that tree nearby is probably slim? Hope it can help.?

My husband saw a commercial for Natural cures that said that Lavender oil with vinegar can be used to rid the home of Lady bugs (beetles) and now the ever present Box Elder beetles. Did he hear right and if so what is the recipe?

Thanks

Pat from Waldo, WI

Answers

By sandy. (Guest Post)

March 30, 20060 found this helpful

hi i have the ladybugs also. i have sprayed my windows on the outside with soapy water, like dish water. yes i do think that helped but then it rained and i did not do it again. i am planning on sealing up all of my screens. then i am washing the entire window area including the blindes. i hope that stops them.

I recently moved in to a new two story house. It's not that old, and it has white sidings. Inside the house the walls are a light colored. When I moved in all but 4 windows had this plastic shrink wrap on to help keep the heat in.

I have noticed more and more lady bugs everyday. I have tried vacuuming them and other things, but nothing works. I live in northwest Ohio. Ladybugs are common, but I have never seen them this bad.

I live in the northeast and I am curious to know if anyone else is having a problem with ladybugs. For the past five years I have been inundated with them in the fall season. Now I am noticing them in the start of the spring season. In the fall they are all over my screens, siding on house, windows, and they get into the house and crawl over textured ceiling. Someone told me they liked the color yellow which is the color of my house. They don't bother my neighbors on either side of me.

Does anyone know why this is happening and how I can control them? I know that generally speaking ladybugs are great for eating other insects, but this is ridiculous. They are all over the inside of my house. Help!

I live in the city of Rochester. I need to know the most humane way to get rid of these pesky ladybugs that are invading my apartment. I have told my landlord, but they won't do anything about it. Help me!

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I am having a major issue with lady beetles in my very old house. These bugs were released to battle another pest and now they have become a pest! Lady beetles look like ladybugs but are a dark orange. Right now there are about 50 in an upstairs window. Short of spraying a poison or calling an exterminator, I'd appreciate any suggestions.

BellaNell from Pleasant Mt. PA

Answers:

Dealing With Lady Beetles

These type of beetles are a real pest. They love light and come in through windows. If you have a crawl space under your house, get several cans of bug bomb and release it under the house. The can will tell you how far to place them apart. They work great for us and fewer beetles enter the house and it kills off spiders.

Also, you can use a covered jar with Pinesol and water and scoop the few beetles that do make it into the home and put into the jar. The Pinesol kills them quickly and covers over the odor they release. Refrain from using the vacuum to suck them up because their released odor is unhealthy to some people. (04/09/2008)

Dealing With Lady Beetles

We have been having a problem with these awful things for several years now. One of the worst things about them is they lay eggs, and next year when the temperatures grow warm, the beetles hatch out. Especially around windows. Those things do bite, and lots of people find they are allergic to them. If you swat them and kill them, they leave behind a nasty smell. Wipe down the window sills and door frames with Tea-Tree Oil. Evidently they don't like this smell, and it kills some of them besides.

Use your vacuum cleaner and just vacuum them right up. You'll have to do this several times in a row to get them all at one time out of one window. You can stuff the hose end of the vacuum with a wadded paper towel to keep them from escaping while you move from one room to another. When finished, throw the entire vacuum cleaner bag away (put it in a ziplock bag, so those pests can't escape into the air). We absolutely hate these Lady Bug Beetles. They were even in our RV and started hatching out little ones as the sun warmed up the windshield, and the windows. Those that got out were all over the exterior of the RV. It looked like measles. Hope this helps you some. (04/10/2008)

Dealing With Lady Beetles

Instead of killing them, check with a local greenhouse to see if they will buy them to sell to other customers. (04/10/2008)

By Marie

Dealing With Lady Beetles

I used duct tape cut in a strip, and made into a loop with the sticky side out. Then put on a stick (dowel- or yard stick) so you can reach the ceiling. Change when needed. Don't crush them, as they stink. (04/10/2008)

Dealing With Lady Beetles

We had a bad problem with those nasty little buggers. We bought and burned small Mulberry candles and put on the window sills. (04/11/2008)

Answers:

Getting Rid of Ladybugs

Are you sure they are ladybugs. This is an area that gets Japanese beetles every year. You could tape your doors and windows shut and they still find a way in. They are harmless and will eventually stop coming. Sweep them up and take them outside. (03/25/2010)

We just moved in our new house in August. And it is nearly the end of October and our house has been taken over by a form of ladybugs. I am going crazy, from the time I wake up til the time I go to bed I am constantly dragging the vacuum up and down the stairs. I have been vacuuming them away constantly. It seems to work, but every time I think I got them all, along comes another batch. Any ideas or proven remedies? Please help.

Answers:

How can I get rid of lady bugs in my house?

Insect repellent spray bombs placed a few yards apart in the crawl space under the house worked for us. What few did come in, I was able to control using PineSol and water in a jar with screw top lid. My vac was not needed to get these insects which leave an odor that can cause health problems. Do a Google search and you can learn about that. (10/23/2009)

How can I get rid of lady bugs in my house?

If the ladybugs you are talking about are more of an orangish color instead of red, they are an Asian ladybug, and they are a seasonal problem here in the northeast. They come out in the late fall, and they will go away when the weather gets cold. What we do is vacuum them up where ever we find them, but if they're a huge problem, you could try using an insect bomb in your house. Just make sure you follow the directions on the can very carefully. (10/24/2009)

How can I get rid of lady bugs in my house?

How can I get rid of lady bugs in my house?

There is a spray called Home Defense (we get it at the local lumber yard) that works wonders. You spray around the outside of your house foundation and around the windows and any other openings. This really helps keep them out. If an occasional one does get in it doesn't live long after crossing the spray line. (10/27/2009)

How can I get rid of lady bugs in my house?

I have a few in my house, too. They seem to congregate by my lights. So I take a cup and a card or newspaper, flip them into the cup and cover it. Once you get a few in there, open a window and shake the cup so they fly out.

They can fly in when you are simply walking into your home. They are small so its hard to notice. I seem to catch 7-10 every day and set them free again.

A few years ago we had a huge amount so hubby just opened the windows and they flew out themselves. If it is a day that its a little warmer then it is also a great way to freshen the air in your home too. (11/16/2009)

How can I get rid of lady bugs in my house?

How can I get rid of lady bugs in my house?

I just heard about this last night on the radio. It was suggested that a light box can be used since they are attracted to the light and then they can be transported all at once to the great outdoors away from the house. I'm not sure of where to get a light box at. Here's a website that may help:For more detailed information on ladybugs, visit the Ladybug Lady's website: ladybuglady.com.

You could also use a "shop vacuum". This type of vacuum is easy to use for collecting ladybugs. When using this to vacuum up ladybugs, use a clean bag or pad the bottom with a cloth. After all are cleaned up at one time, release the unwelcome guests outside. Hope something helps. (11/16/2009)